we've got a campaign which is tied with an incumbent president of the united states. i've got a very effective campaign. it's doing a very good job. but not everything i say is elegant, and i want to make it very clear, i want to help 100% of the american people. >> in back-to-back interviews on "60 minutes," both candidates laid out their vision and admitted mistakes. romney said he spoke inelegantly. the president admitting he hadn't changed the culture in washington. >> i'm the first one to confess that the spirit that i brought to washington, that i wanted to see instituted where we weren't constantly in a political slugfest but were focused more on problem solving, you know, i haven't fully accomplished that. >> here's the brand-new politico/george washington university battleground poll. the president has a slight lead over romney, and barring a major event, the window may be closing for romney to make inroads in those key battleground states. let me bring in real politics reporter erin pike and politico's alexander burns. good morning to both of you. erin, not